


The Forgotten Heir

by MsRainbow



Category: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anti-Hero, Attempt at Humor, F/F, Female Player Character (Hogwarts Mystery), Female Protagonist, Fights, Multi, Purebloods (Harry Potter), Serious, Slytherin Pride, Underage - Freeform, Unpredictable, i mean kinda anti but you’ll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 17:14:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21671941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsRainbow/pseuds/MsRainbow
Summary: Not all Slytherins think they are racially superior but all those who do are from Slytherin. Which path will this young witch follow. Will she grow up to be the stereotype  that her parents want her to be or will she decide to forge her own path? Will she learn to follow her own goals or will she stay a puppet following her parents orders her whole life? Will she be the heir that this family wants or will she be the change that it needs. All these question remain unanswered, no one really knows what the future holds, her fate lays in her hands, with countless possibilities and it’s up to her in which direction she will go. Light or dark, red or green, there is no in between. Or is there? Follow the story of Jacqueline Gaunt, the witch that has the heart of a lion ruled by the mind of a serpent. A combination that proves to be problematic.
Relationships: Merula Snyde & Original Female Character(s), Merula Snyde/Original Character(s), Merula Snyde/Original Female Character(s), Player Character & Merula Snyde, Player Character/Merula Snyde
Comments: 26
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

When the letter finally came to her home, there were no celebration, no happiness, it was nothing but expected. She attends Hogwarts, learns the quickest, has the best marks, continues being a good kid. Do the things her brother Jacob failed at. 

Jacqueline Gaunt was ready to do all that but she had one goal of her own that didn't involve her parent’s ideals, expectations or demands, even the exact opposite, it went against them. That was finding her brother, at all costs. Unlike his sister, Jacob was on thin ice with his parents from the point he started expressing his own opinions, going against the pure-blood fanatic believes The Gaunt Family had since forever. The girl on the other hand, never fought their opinions even though she herself was against them. She wasn't even a teen yet and she was extremely calm and composed. Upon seeing how they treated her brother for standing up taught her better then to waste her time on trying to change their view. Even after the disastrous speech he had with them after being sorted into Gryffindor he didn't learn his lesson, at school he was friends with ,,Mudbloods,, and ,,Blood Traitors,, that their parents despised more than anything. Him accidentally snapping his wand was the last straw for them, they decided that on his 17 birthday he will be disowned, ripped from everything, even his name, leaving his sister to be the heir. Although he didn't even get to know it since he disappeared before they could do that to him.

Truth to be told, she could care less about being a successor to a family like that, the only reason for her being happy that she'll be going to Hogwarts was that she won't have to be with her parents anymore. At least for some time. 

She went down the stairs, nearing the Platform 9 3/4 watching the stern and disgusted faces that her parents wore just upon seeing the Weasley family. Jacqueline didn't mind them, on the other hand, she enjoyed the cheerful atmosphere the brothers and their family had.   
When the train came her parents didn't hug her, nor did they show any sign of affection.   
  
,,Make us proud, do not forget who's name you carry,, her father said, a calm but still ordering tone in his voice.   
  
,,Learn a lesson from your brother, you must not be like him,, her mother said, although with a little less demanding tone to her voice, but her choice of words had the same effect as her father’s tone. 

Once she entered the train, she found herself an empty cabin, in the back wagon and opened a book with the intention to read and enjoy the quietness and alone time. That of course didn't work the way she expected, not a minute has passed and the cabin doors were pulled open, Gaunt looked up from her book to see who it was. A dark-haired girl, with glasses and a shy expression poked her head in.

,,Hey, all the other cabins are full, do you mind me joining?,, she asked shyly.

,,Of course not, come in,, the witch answered with a inviting smile, that seemed to calm the darker girl down and with a big happy smile she took a seat opposite from the other witch.

,,Thank you for letting me sit here,, she smiled again, putting a hand forward ,,my name is Rowan Khanna,, the other girl returned the gesture, gently shook her hand, smiled a little and said ,,I'm Jacqueline, Jacqueline Gaunt. But you can just call me whatever you like.,, 

Rowan smile turned a little bit nervous ,,Gaunt? As in one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight? Sorry for asking it so baldly but you look different...,, she said, while scratching her neck.

,,Oh don't worry I get that a lot, it's mainly because I have a pigment condition, that's why my hair is white and my eyes bright green, you can also see it on my skin, I'm quite pale. But it's not severe so I'm coping,, she smirked a little, she was used to being the ,,black sheep,, of the family.

,,Oh that's why,, Rowan said, feeling glad that the question didn't insult her new acquaintance.   
  
,,Don't worry I'm not easily offended,, Jacqui said, while the second girl kind of blushed from nervousness. They spent the rest of the ride with small talk and Gaunt had been quite fond of the company so far, she felt like they'll get along just fine throughout the years.

Upon arriving to Hogsmeade they found themselves walking through the town, nearing Ollivander’s wand shop, Khanna stopped, looking at the young lady next to her   
  
,,I already have a wand but I'm going to pick up some other things so, meet me here in 20?,, she asked.   
  
,,Alright I'll go for the wand and then to pick up a pet, after I'll wait for you there near the broom shop,, Jacqueline answered. They parted their ways, the young witch stepped into the shop, looked around the tall wooden shelf's filled with boxes containing wands.   
_Which_ _one will choose me?_ The girl wondered.   
  
,,Ah, I know I heard someone entering,, the girl just noticed a not so tall man smiling from the other side of the counter at her.   
  
,,Oh, hello Mr. Ollivander,, the girl greeted the shopkeeper. ,,And what might be your name, young lady?,, he asked.   
  
,,I'm Jacqueline Gaunt,, she answered.   
  
,,Ah yes, your eyes, yes, you're very similar to your brother, hair excluded of course.,, the girl just nodded at this exclamation. ,,Let's see,, he walked to the back side ,,try this one, 11inch, unicorn hair, ash wood, go on give it a sway.,,   
And so she did, what caused the counter to shake and the bunch of books on it to aggressively fly away.  
  
,,Alright, that's clearly not it,, she frowned, while the older man was already search for a new one.   
  
,,Maybe this one, go ahead.,, She waved it gently but this one caused even worse reaction then the first wand. She looked around, heard rustling and rumbling but didn't see the kind vendor, suddenly he came from far back of the shop.   
  
,,Alright, this one then, 14,2 inch, Dragon Heartstring, Elder Wood, Solid, yes, I have a good feeling about this one,, The girl looked at the wand and thought to herself, _it's really beautiful,_ it was, very much so, dark wood with circular engravings near the beginning, elegant, seemed quite long for the witch now, but who knows, she might grow to fit the size. _I wonder if this is the one, I kind of hope it will be._

She reached for the wand and almost felt overwhelmed by the warmth and power she felt within both her wand and herself. It only caused the wind to lightly swirl around her, the light grew a little bigger. She has never felt this way before in her life.   
  
,,Yes yes, that's the one, this one clearly choose you.,, the girl nodded in response still feeling a little stunned.   
  
,,Thank you mister, have a good day,, she turned on her heels and got out of the shop while Ollivanders curios look never left her back ,,You too, Miss Gaunt you too.,, 

Hmm, Khanna isn't here yet, I have about 10 min to get my pet it went really fast. Her eyes wandered towards the big pocket of her coat, she kept her wand in. _Mr.Ollivanders looked quite surprised, I wonder if this wand is somehow special, it certainly did feel that way... or maybe everyone feels it when they get their first wand._ She collected her thoughts on the way towards the pet shop. 

Once she entered, she was welcomed by the sight of various different creatures. She already owned a snake, he was unique and as Jacqueline herself would say, no one could ever replace her amazing Ares, although she would keep him a secret in the school for now. Otherwise it could cause more unwanted attention towards her than she needed. She wanted owl, so she started a search for one. Many of the creatures were beautiful, mysterious and interesting, but no other caught her sight like a the strangely beautiful owl in the corner of the shop. Quite big frame, black feathers and yellow almost glowing eyes, she was fascinated by the bird right away. She didn't think twice, told the merchant that she wanted it, the bill went to her family and she got the pet. The owl was very calm in the cage and as she stepped out of the shop she glanced at it. _Athena_ , the name just sprung into her mind. ,,Athena...,, she said out loud, which followed by the birds approving noise. Happy with my name choice. _I see, you seem calm, let's get you out of the cage and see if you'll stay with me._ The girl knew she was taking a risk since she only purchased the animal but she felt a connection between them, plus her parents said that she has a gift when it comes to magical creatures and pets. Which was right, they did have the tendency to take a liking to the girl right away, like Ares did. As she opened the cage, the bird flew up to the skies, turned face down and just sat on the witch’ shoulder, much to her delight.

She saw Khanna standing near the broom shop, her eyes darting between different brooms.   
,,Are you looking to buy one?,, Jacqueline said, startling her.   
  
,,Oh, no, I won't need one, I'm not going to play quidditch so I'll make do with what the school has, are you going to have your own broom?,, Rowan asked.   
  
,,I don't think so, maybe, I don't know yet...,, she didn't see a use for it now so she wasn't going to buy one.   
,,Which one??,, Gaunt turned to the other girl, not following her question ,,Oh, I meant wand, which one did you get?,, She reached for her pocket and showed the wand to her companion, saying ,,Mr. Ollivander said it's Elder wood with Dragon Heartstring core.,,   
  
Rowan looked at the girl in front of her, unblinking, after a while she stated ,,Did you know that it could be one of the strongest wands? Elder wood is the rarest wand type, Dumbledore himself has it, that's very amazing. Oh and the core is also very powerful, you must be amazing,, her eyes seemed very excited.   
  
,,You're very knowledgeable in wands, aren't you?,, the girl rose an eyebrow.   
  
,,Oh my family has a wood farm that supplies materials for high-quality wands and broomsticks, although we do not own elder wood, I know a lot about, simply because I like the subject, I guess.,, The girl just smiled at how soon her new acquaintance became talkative however she somehow didn't mind. And so they both went on the way to the lake and Hogwarts itself for the sorting ceremony, they spent the walk and voyage, if it could be called that way, with talking about many different things. 

They went up countless stairs and then were greeted by a tall older witch, with a pointy black hat.   
  
,,Welcome to Hogwarts, in a few moments you will head through these doors and join your classmates but first you must be sorted into you houses. They are Gryffindor, the brave and daring. Hufflepuff, dedicated and loyal. Ravenclaw, intelligent and witty and Slytherin, ambitious and cunning. Now, while you're here your house will be your family. Triumphs will be your points, troublemaking will lose your points. At the end of the year the House with the most points is awarded the House cup. Now let us begin.,,   
And so they entered the great hall, the place were the ceremony is held, she was astonished by they view, her brother was right, this school is quite striking. She noticed that there weren't as many first years as she expected but still many enough for her to not be able to remember all of their names and faces even if she knew them all. She looked up at the tall old man that was now standing at the front desk.   
  
,,Welcome, first years! Before the sorting ceremony begins let me introduce you to Professors that are the Heads of the Houses you were already made aware of,, he stated   
  
,,Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor,, and pointed at the witch that greeted us.  
  
,,Professor Sprout, head of Hufflepuff,, and looked in the direction of a small older witch with a funny head.   
  
,,Professor Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw,, glances at the even smaller Professor.   
  
,,And Professor Snape, head of Slytherin,, and nodded towards a tall man in long black robes.   
  
,,And so, let us begin!,, he said as he walked towards a chair with a hat on a desk next to it and then started calling different names.   
Not too long after, Rowan was called forward, the hat grumbled about something, that Jack couldn't catch on.   
  
,,Ravenclaw!,, he yelled, the students clapped and her friend headed towards her table with a thoughtful expression. Soon after she heard Dumbledore stating   
  
,,Next student, Miss Gaunt,, followed by gasps and whispers, her peers looking around.   
_Here we go,_ she thought to herself, even though she took a hesitant breath she walked towards the chair looking confident.   
  
,,A Gaunt is it, yes? And is there even a possibility for you to end up elsewhere then all the people from your family that went here expect, like your Gryffindor brother?,, The hat spoke to her, she shrugged, so that only the hat could feel the subtle body movement and thought to herself.  
 _  
Not like I care...I only need to get strong enough to find him. ,,_ I see, _, what? ,,_ The qualities match... hmm,, _The hat can read minds?! That’d be rather useful_.   
  
,,Expected but somehow surprising...SLYTHERIN!,, he exclaimed.   
_My parents will be pleased with this_.   
The newcomer Slytherin stood up from her chair, headed towards her house table, followed by various reactions, some people clapping, some frowning, sneering but all were murmuring and   
whispering between each other. She didn't even try to guess the things they said, for her own good.  
She took a seat next to a brown-haired boy, first year just like her, he however didn't seem to bother to look at her. This year Slytherin has quite a lot additions, to their own surprise. 

_I just hope this school will help me to become powerful enough to find my brother._ She thought to herself before her prefect Felix introduced himself to all the first-year students and led them towards their common rooms. She looked at Rowan, who was now quietly walking towards the Ravenclaw common rooms, _Khanna is very smart maybe she'll be of use later...? Hmm should I really think like that, using people is something my parents would do... it doesn't matter, I just need to know if Jacobs alright. She seems to be the perfect description of a Ravenclaw. As long as she's pure blood my parents hopefully won't question me, even though she's in a different house_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say here, this is my first story so any kind of interaction is appreciated, if you have any questions about the character feel free to ask. I’d like to stay that this won’t be very similar to canon, I’ll add and remove some things and as the years go by it’ll be less and less canon. I hope that you’ve like this chapter. See you soon🖤


	2. Chapter 2

So far Jacqueline only had Charms class that went really well. Professor Flitwick was a good-hearted man she could already tell and there was nothing that he appreciated more than natural talent combined with work that created astonishing results. He was amazed by her first Lumos.   
  
,,I’ve probably never seen anyone do this charm so easily and perfectly on their first try. I’m truly impressed Miss Gaunt!,, his words rang in her head. She felt proud and driven to continue these results.   
_Now I’m definitely going to excel in this class, I simply have to._ She thought to herself, never having felt appreciated for her achievements before in her life, her father never complimented her skills or anything she did. This feeling was new to her and she liked it. Now she was was determinedly walking alone towards her next class, hoping to accomplish the same outcome. 

,,Do you know who I am?!,, came for dungeons near the Potions class where the white haired girl was headed. Firstly, she couldn't quite make out who to two figures were, however as she came closer, she saw Rowan arguing with a slightly smaller girl with short brown hair. Her steps slowing a little, still undecided if she wants to get involved in the argument, yet upon noticing how Khanna took a trembling step back, she walked boldly towards them.   
  
,,Is there a problem?,, she asked once she reached them.   
The shorter girl turned her attention towards the other young witch, shooting dagger, however upon seeing the green tie that matched her own her expression turned from a glare to a bored one.   
  
,,There is,, she started ,,well, this useless half-blood has a attitude issue, she's unable to recognize when someone's superior is talking to her.,,   
The pale girl gave Khanna an unreadable side look, that made the other girl shudder a little.   
  
,,Then why are you wasting your time with her when she's clearly beneath us?,, she turned her attention back to the shorter girl.   
  
,,Look you don't get to question my actions, I'm Merula Snyde, nobody tells me what and how to do!,, she turned on her heels and walked towards the class.   
Once Jaqueline turned to the Ravenclaw girl, she could see the sad and shocked expression she had.   
  
,,There's no other way to deal with people like that,, she said, not regretting anything she said. The eyes of the other witch widened, sadness now completely leaving her expression ,,You were protecting me?,,   
,,I-... yeah,,,   
Rowan now smiled ,,thank you, I guess.,, 

As they stepped into the classroom there was only two seats left, at the table of the girl they had just met. Gaunt walked calmly there, not giving it much thought, Khanna on the other hand, was more uneasy as she followed her to the seat. As the young Slytherin sat down, her eyes met the lazy, half-glare half-stare of the short haired girl, which quickly followed by an eye roll. The girl just shrugged in response.   
_This is going to be a real pain, innit?_ Her thought was followed by a rough opening of the door, through witch professor Snape, the head of her House, came inside the room. And so the lesson started, they learned to do the Cure for Boils Potion. Snape was a perfectionist, he always demanded the best results.   
The lesson passed strangely quickly and her potion turned out well, but Snyde's was better. Snape was pleased with this and awarded Slytherin 10 points, which caused Merula to brag about it until the professor quickly ended it with a biting remark. 

The following class was Flying. First the students learned how to polish their brooms. Ironically, Gaunt and Snyde ended up at the same table.   
Most of the time the Jaqueline was just minding her own business and to her own surprise the other girl did mostly the same thing. With a snickering remark on some other students, here and there or her commenting on Gaunt on her way of doing things. These comments however ended when Jaqueline summoned her broom without breaking a sweat when the bully only managed it after her 5th try. After this the rest of the lesson went peaceful, without no more comments from Merula. 

Weeks went by like nothing, Jaqueline had no problem whatsoever during classes, she always excelled, well, nearly always. In potions class, she was bested by Merula nearly every lesson. It didn't bother her yet, but she needed to improve at all costs. One day after this class, she found a small blonde hair boy walking behind Snyde, not like she'd care but he was a Gryffindor and she's seen him follow her without talking to her or engaging with, which seemed rather suspicious. She decided to let it go.   
_As if getting involved would fix anything, it has nothing to do with me nor my brother so it shouldn’t be my concern._

One day she found herself talking with Rowan, on the way to another flying class, about this matter.   
  
,,I've been talking to Ben,, Rowan said ,,he's been following Merula around to keep an eye one her, she's been bullying the poor guy the whole ride to Hogwarts.,,   
  
,,And why would she do that?,, Gaunt asked ,,I'm mean, besides it being her hobby, for some reason.,,

,,Well, he's a Muggle-born, you see.,, upon hearing this Jaqueline just sighed.

,,We should do something about it?,, Rowan continued.

,,And why is that?,, she asked, turning her head towards the Ravenclaw, her features unreadable.

,,Because it's wrong, obviously?,, Rowan said, not understanding why the other girl wasn't so keen on helping the boy.

,,Well, why doesn't he stand up for himself, he's a Gryffindor not a wimp.,,

,,Come on, you stood up for me back then.,, Rowan said, sounding almost pleadingly.

This resulted in another sigh from Jaqueline ,,But I knew you, I mean, not knew but...ah, I have nothing to do with that boy, there's no reason to help him.,,

,,Nobody should be treated like that because of blood and you know it, if you didn't you wouldn't have helped me!,, after that Gaunt just stared at the girl, maybe a little longer than needed

,,Alright,, she sighed once again.

,,So you'll help him?,,

,,I won't,, she looked at her friend.

,,Okay thank yo- wait what?,,

,,I won't help him,, this caused Rowan to stop dead in her tracks ,,But you said...,,   
Jaqueline didn't stop and was now several steps in front of the other girl ,, **I **won't help him, but I'll help you help him,, this made the Ravenclaw run towards her friend.

,,You'll help me, help h-... isn't that the same?,,

,,It's not,,

,,Yeah. yeah it is,, Rowan said now smiling.

,,It's **not** ,, the other witch repeated herself again.

,,Okay, okay.,, They both continued walking, Rowan with some kind of dumb winning smirk on her face, Jaqueline noticed this which made her smile a little.

In today’s flying class they were learning how to successfully mount and control the broom. Before they did that Professor Hooch explained some basics about balancing, floating and flying itself. Now to take it into practice.   
,,Up!,, Jaqueline commanded, and the broom flew straight into her hand. She could hear a grunt on her left side, she glanced at it and caught Merula with her broom slapped on her face. Right away she turned her head in the other direction, she couldn’t help but grin at how the ,,best witch at Hogwarts,, as she would call herself ever so often, managed to hit herself with her own broom. The sight replayed in her head once again and now she laughed a little. ,,Miss Gaunt how long are you going to just hold that broom and do nothing with it?,, she heard her Professor say.

,,I’m sorry madam Hooch.,,

,,Don’t apologize to me and demonstrate how you would handle you broom!,, Madam Hooch ordered, not yelling but her voice strict, Jaqueline just nodded, summoned her broom and looked at her teacher.

,,Go ahead, I'm waiting.,, She placed both her hands at the broomstick then she slowly sat on it. She took a deep seemingly hesitant breath and her feet began to lift of the ground. Her eyes widened a little and after a while her breathing evened out. She moved her broom a little higher and flew in a small circle. Once she landed back down, she noticed some gasps and surprised faces, even Merula's expression was for a while different from her usual glare.

,,Good, allow me to remark that you'll lucky for having so much natural talent, but there'll be some point where that won't be sufficient.,, _I'm well aware of that..._ she thought to herself but saying nothing.

,,Alright everyone, hurry up so we can continue with the lesson!,, Some time has passed, Jaqueline was working on her balancing a little since she felt a little wobbling here and there. The lesson was nearing an end, at this point nearly everyone had successfully mounted they brooms, some had more problems with balancing than others. The only one that didn't even lifted his foot of the ground was Ben, Ms Hooch's attention was elsewhere right now and Merula right away noticed and thought of it as her cue to start another of her nasty squabbles that no one fought against.

,,What's wrong Copper? Are you really that scared? Wow, aren't the mighty **Gryffindors** supposed to be brave and all that crap,, she said, shocking the fellow students ,,If that's true, then you shouldn't be in that house, in a fact you shouldn't even be here, Muggle!,, she basically spat the last word out.

,,You wanted to help him right? Now is the time,, Jaqueline leaned toward Rowan and whispered.

,,But... I can't stand up to her she'd just throw insults at me, she wouldn't do that to you at least she didn't last time,, Rowan said, not knowing what to do now.

,,Well I am not the one that ones to help the boy you are,, she told her, wanting to push herself to stand up to the bully.

,,You said you'd help,, Khanna pleaded.

,,Yeah. Help you.,, Jaqueline said but as she looked at her friend's sad expression she just sighed and stepped forward, towards the circle of bystanders

,,Hey Snyde!,, all eyes now turned one her and people formed a path for her.

,,What do you want, you interloper?,,

,,No need to be rude, neither to me nor to Copper here, last time I checked he summoned his broom on the second time flawlessly while you did as much as slap your own face with one,, Jaqueline passively taunted, both giggles and gasps could be heard from the crowd.

,,So your trying to humiliate me, go ahead, but that'll be the last thing you'll do!,, Merula said as she stormed towards the other Slytherin.

Jaqueline narrowed her eyes and raised one eyebrow at her ,,Are you threatening me, Snyde?,,

,,I'm merely informing you, Gaunt.,, she answered, with a smug smile.

,,Oh, You are?,, she said, remaining calm and unaffected.

Merula looked her up and down, now glaring into her green eyes ,,You really don't deserve your name, should have been sorted into Gryffindor like your useless muggle-loving brother,, she said with venom in her voice.

The other girl gritted her teeth, it seemed as though she was about to snap, nonetheless her expression quickly turned back to normal. ,,why don't you stop talking about people you know nothing about.,,

,,And why don't you vanish, just like he did. Actually let me take care of that,, Merula spat, as she reached for her wand, her eyes never leaving the other girl. Jaqueline grabbed her hand that and shoved it back into her pocket, with surprising speed.

At that same moment Ms Hooch made her appearance ,,What seems to be the ruckus here?,, at that the crowd flew apart.

,,Nothing Madam Hooch,, Jaqueline answered, before Merula could ,,Just came to a disagreement while discussing who the best Quiditch player of Slytherin is.,,

This caused Merula to looked at her, stunned and upset, yet she just turned to the professor and nodded in agreement. Nobody dared to say anything against them.

,,As you say. Well...,, Ms Hooch looked at her watch ,,I managed to return in time just for the end of the class, ah, Class Dismissed,, she said, turned around and walked away. So did most of the students when they realized the drama was over. Rowan and Ben were standing behind Jaqueline and Merula, that now turned back towards each other.

,,I won't let this slide, we'll settle this another time,, Merula said, now bored ,We'll duel, tomorrow after lunch. Meet me in the courtyard, if you won't show up I'll find you myself,, she declared as she walked away.   
Gaunt didn't reply, there was nothing to say. She turned and walked towards her friend and Ben. ,,That was amazing...,, Rowan said ,,your amazing!,,

,,Yeah, t-thank you,, Ben now joined.

,,You,, she looked at Rowan ,,you were the one that was supposed to help this guy,, she said, turning to Ben ,,and you, you are supposed to stand up for your self,, she said, sounding a little annoyed but her expression remained calm. ,,Get that broom,, she ordered Ben.

,,M-Me? Why, n-n-no I-,, he said as he stepped back.

,,Look,, she put a hand on his shoulder ,,I have better things to do than all this,, she gestured towards the whole place ,,but I already got involved, and I won't let the argument and tomorrows duel go all in vain because the scenario of today would repeat itself at the next flying class, so I might as well teach you. Now get that damn broom.,, Her look was somewhere between annoyed and demanding.

Rowan now stepped towards her ,,Thank you... For doing this, really.,,

,,Look Rowan, I had no intentions to help that boy, I'm only doing that because of you.,,

,,Still, thanks.,, Jaqueline just sighed.

Copper now returned with his broom ,,I-It's not that I wouldn't know how to do it.... I'm- I'm just scared to do it.,, he said as he held the broom in his trembling hands.

,,Oh mate, you really are a wus aren't you,,

,,Jaqueline!,, Rowan said.

,,What? He is.,, Although Rowan was conflicted she giggled now.  
Ben didn't say a thing although he looked slightly more relaxed as he noticed the friendly and calm atmosphere. Rowan was now laughing

,,Alright, that wasn't that funny.,, Jaqueline said with a questioning look on her face.

,,It's just.. I haven't noticed before but you really have strong accent and now that you've actually spoken more than one sentence it showed, it was kinda cute,, she said, chuckling.   
  


Jaqueline just looked at her, her lips formed a thin line and her jaws tightened a little, not in a intimidating manner and then she said ,,I'm not...cute. Copper what are you waiting for get on that broom.,,

,,Well, I'm still afraid...,,

,,Oh boy, let me show you how to do it then,, she sounded a little annoyed although her eyes were actually warmer than the cold look he saw before.  
  
They spent the day training, Jaqueline showing Ben how to balance right and Rowan encouraging, with a few positive remarks from Gaunt as well, at the end she managed to help him get rid of his fear and control the broom. Even though she wouldn't admit it to anyone yet, because of her parents, obviously, she actually enjoyed helping the boy and he wasn't half bad once he got used to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the second chapter, hope you've liked it. I'll update every few days, at least once a week. See you later ♥


	3. Chapter 3

The next day came soon, her classes went by fast. The last class was again Flying. They were all flying around, some faster some slower and Ben was actually one of the faster kids. He almost looked like he was having fun. Hooch noticed this and called him to come down.

,,Well, Mister Copper it seems like you have gained more confidence,, she stated as he got down from his broom.

,,I- Well, yeah I kind of did. I-It’s thanks to Jaqueline thought, she helped me yesterday.,,

,,Oh did she? Ms Gaunt do you mind coming here for a moment?,, Mrs Hooch called at the group of flying student where Jaqueline was practicing.  
She raised an eyebrow once she arrived in front of them. ,,Is there a problem?,,

,,No, No Ms Gaunt. Mr Copper here told me that you’re the reason for his… dare I say, drastic improvement,, the Professor said with a smile.

,,Well, I wouldn't say that I’m the reason for it he’s actually good naturally he just needed a little kick to show it,, Jaqueline nodded and the corner of her mouth lifted a little.

,,Helpful and Humble, I’m impressed. You rarely see Slytherin help someone from other Houses, not talking about their rivals from Gryffindor. I must say I’m very pleased with this. You deserve a reward, 15 Points to Slytherin. Alright, hurry up you two and get back to what you stopped at,, Mrs Hooch said and rushed them both back on their brooms.

They flew up and Jaqueline stopped Ben ,,Hey Copper!,,

,,Y-Yeah?,,

,,Thanks.,,

,,N-No problem…,, They stared at each other a little and Gaunt now fully smiled which surprised Copper and made him blush a little.

,,Alright then, I should go, bye,, she spoke as she flew away. When she was flying, she saw a glimpse of Merula flying by herself. Snyde was today exceptionally calm today, with no remarks nor nasty comments to her or other students that surprised everyone a little. Actually, she didn’t speak a word unless a teacher wanted her to. Not that Jaqueline was complaining.

It was lunch break now and Rowan decided to invite Copper to sit with her and Jaqueline. At first they talked together about him fighting his fears, how he does in classes and stuff like that. Jaqueline didn’t really engage in the conversation, thinking about the upcoming duel she has to win. _I wonder what spells she already knows. Should I take it seriously enough to use some that we didn’t learn in school? Can I use expelliarmus or will that be too suspicious. Should I summon Ares to help me just in case? Or maybe I should have Athena keep an eye on her and tell her to let me know if she’ll try to cheat in some way... could she actually defeat me? I mean she proclaims herself as the ,,Best witch at Hogwarts,,... we’ll that’s clearly not the case but I’ve seen her in classes and she is very talented and as rude and arrogant as she might be she’s really excellent when it comes to charms which means she’ll have small to no problems at all with jinxes and hexes. This is really irritating. I shouldn’t even have gotten involved... I just hope my parents won’t find out about this, if they would I don’t even want to think what they’d do to me..._

,,Jaqueline? Are you listening?,, this made the Slytherin look away from her plate and at the Ravenclaw next to her.

,,No. I have no clue what you said whatsoever.,, she exclaimed.

,,Wow. Really? You’re not even going to deny it? Talk about honesty,, Rowan said laughing.

,,Honesty’s better, innit?,, Jaqueline said as she raised an eyebrow.

,,Yeah I guess. Anyhow, I was wanting to ask you about how you feel?,,

,,Feel about what?,,

,,The duel, of course!,, Rowan said.

,,I don’t know, didn’t give it much thought,, Jaqueline said with a shrug.

,,What do you mean didn’t give it much thought? You were spacing out for a solid 10 minutes right now,, Rowan said, raising both eyebrows.

,,I didn’t think about that,, she countered with a unreadable expression. ,,Yeah? And what did you think about then??,, Rowan asked, not believing the other girl.

,,Classes,, she said and turned her attention back to her plate ,,and food.,,

,,Oh really? Aren’t you nervous?,, Rowan continued, not wanting to drop the subject.

,,Why? There’s no reason to be,, she said with shrug. 

,,Isn't there, I mean she's not just all talk, she's really strong and you know it.,,

At this Jaqueline gave Rowan a side glance and narrowed her eyes ,,You trying to say that I'm weak?,,

,,NO! Of course not, I don't think your weak I just wante-.,,

,,So there's nothing to worry about, no reason to be nervous,, Jaqueline stood up from her seat and turned towards the door ,,I'm done so I'll be going... See you later,, she said as she began to walk away, leaving Rowan and Ben alone. 

As she stepped foot into the Courtyard, she saw some people walking by but no Merula, she figured that the bully's probably standing further away behind the fountain. She guessed right because just as she came there, she saw Merula leaning against a wall with a bored look on her face, the one that you could see on her most of the time when she's not glaring or wearing a smug smile after bullying someone. As she saw Jaqueline approaching her face changed to a scowl and she pushed herself of the wall.

,,So you came Gaunt. Thought you've chickened out,, Merula stated as she crossed her arms.

,,Well, you've thought wrong, Snyde,, Jaqueline countered ,,...although this is just a waste of time.,,

,,Sounds like you're scared,, the other witch said with a smirk.

,,I am no coward, you pest. You on the other hand should back up while you have the chance now,, Jaqueline spoke coldly, not showing any signs of intimidation or anxiety.

This seemed to trigger the short tempered witch ,,Let's find out if you stay so confident after I beat your arse!,,

Only now people started to notice the conflict and it slowly began to form into a smaller crowd. Merula quickly raised her wand, pointed it at her opponent leaving little time for Jaqueline to react to her first spell

,,RICTUMSEMPRA!,, she yelled.

,,PROTEGO!,, Gaunt responded with her own spell, successfully defending herself from the Tickle Jinx.

,,You're not the only one that has been learning more than we do in school Snyde,, she said, raising her voice a little.

,,Hah let's see how that basic charm protects you from this,, Merula yelled, raising her wand once more

,,FLIPENDO!,,

,,PREOTEGO DUO!,, Jaqueline wasn't sure if the first spell would work so she decided to use the stronger variation of it, which was clearly the good option.

,,And you were saying you weren't a coward? All you do is use defense you nitwit!,, Merula yelled once more, although you could see the surprise on her face. ,,You're weak! Just like your cursed brother. CO-,,

,,EVERTE STATUM!,, Jaqueline didn't give her the chance to finish, casting her own spell incredibly fast, a dangerous frown on her face although it was soon replaced with a neutral features.

Merula flew away, gasps and whispers could be heard from the crowd, the faces there were a mix of scared, surprised and astonished. There was traces of surprise on Merula's face that could have been seen once she stood up from the ground, the left side of her face already forming a bruise and her left knee scratched and bloody from falling on the stone.

Upon seeing that Jaqueline sighed, walked to her and begun speaking a little softer ,,Look, I never wanted to -,,

,,EXPELLIARMUS!,, Merula yelled the disarming charm but aiming for Gaunt's chest instead of her hand. Gaunt didn't expect this at all and therefore was hit, the charm caused her to actually flew away, almost as far as Merula did when Jaqueline cast her incantation.

,,I wanted to help you, you insolent moron!,, Jaqueline spat, irritated by the other girl.

,,Piss off you wanker!,, Merula yelled back at her.

,,Marlin's grace, can't you at least behave less like a public nuisance?,, Jaqueline asked with a mocking undertone.

,,I'm a public nuisance?!!,, Merula yelled even more now.  
  


,, **Both** of you are!,, everyone turned towards the direction of the voice, it was Snape ,,You are an embarrassment to this house.,, This sentence was followed by a long silence. ,,I believe all of you have better places to be than here don't you think?,, he looked at the crowd that completely vanished upon hearing that leaving just the three of them there.

,,You two, follow me!,, he ordered and they both stood up fast and followed him without a word. Jaqueline gave Merula an unnoticeable glance and saw what seemed as nervousness on her face. She just sighed and looked at the back of her Professor. _It just had to be him. Oh my, first the muggle argument now this, when my parents find out I'm done for._

Soon they found themselves in Snapes office, that had it's place near the Slytherin Common Rooms.

They walked in, Snape sighed and began ,,How will you explain that scene to me? You very well know dueling is prohibited. Is this how you represent your House? By breaking rules and yelling at each other from other sides of the Courtyard!?,, he glared at them, they both just kept looking at the ground, Jaqueline's expression ashamed and Merula's a fuse of guilt and shame.

,,No one managed to embarrass Slytherin the way you just did. I'm taking 30 house points.If either of you was less useful you'd be packing right now so consider yourselves lucky. I don't ever want you to cause such a mess again! Furthermore you both have clean-up duty after every upcoming Potions class till the rest of the year. Did I make myself clear?,, He looked at them with a stern, intimidating and annoyed look.

,,Yes, Professor Snape,, they both said simultaneously. His eyes slowly looked from one to the other, the look never leaving his face

,,Good, now begone.,, He said as he turned to his desk.   
The two walked out of the room and closed the door and both turned to walk towards their dorm.

,,This is your fault,, Merula begun.

,,My fault? You threatened me into dueling with you,, Jaqueline followed.

,,You were tho one that intervened with my talk to both that Khanna girl and Copper in flying class and then **you** humiliated me!,,

,,Well, you shouldn't have behaved the way you did in the first place,, Gaunt opposed still remaining calm.

,,I already told that you don't get to decide on how I do or don't behave,, Merula said, raising her voice.

,,Alright let's not argue right now do you want to lose anymore House points than we already did?,, Jaqueline said as they both entered the Common Rooms.

,,Yeah, Let's not talk at all. Just make sure **you** get at least the half of the points back. I don't want to lose anymore because of your stupidity!,, Merula said and begun to walk in another direction. Jaqueline deiced to let it be and just sighed and continued straight ahead to her room.

Jaqueline walked in her room and she just sat on the bed as the owl flew right on her shoulder. She held her hand up and gestured toward her lap so Athena moved there. ,,What a day,, she sighed and petted the birds beautiful black feathers. The bird made an approving sound and leaned into her touch as its head bumped up and down 2 times. ,,Well at least you're a cutie aren't you girl,, Jaqueline said and a laugh resonated deep in her throat. A few seconds after she stopped petting her so the bird flew on the wardrobe and then the girl lay herself down on the bed, thinking. _Today really didn't went well, I have to work hard to get back the points that I lost. I wish I hadn't listen to Rowan, helping that boy only brought me problems. Ugh, but they both were so happy after I helped them. But if I hadn't, I wouldn't have to deal with this.... Ahh, I'm really confused this is annoying. And why does Merula have to be so obnoxious. Should I avoid her? No, impossible we'll have to clean the potions class until the rest of the year, she'd probably call me up if I were avoiding her and it'd cause another useless argument. Moreover, I haven't even had time to start to look for clues to find my brother. I don't have that much time left either, I need to do something about it. Maybe after I manage to gain the House Points.... What If I got Rowan involved, a favor for a favor, right? I already know she's smart, she could be really useful._ She spent another 5 minutes looking at the ceiling before grabbing her book and learning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the third one it was a little shorter. Just to inform you, I'm planning to end year one in 1 or 2 chapters. The usual chapter count will be around 5 for each year until later years because there's little to no action but once we get there the chapters will go up in numbers. Nevertheless you'll always know when another year end or starts so you've nothing to worry about ☻ Anyways hope you've liked it, Chapter 4 is coming soon. ♥


	4. A/N

Happy Holidays

(more like tiresome kill meh days)

* * *

  
Hey! Just to let you know the next chapter will be out somewhere in the first week of 2020 since it was Christmas and New Year is coming soon I had no time to work on this. School assignments and work in between with all the Christmas and holiday preparations nearly killed me and will still try to do so in the upcoming week 😭😅 So wish me luck, I hope you’re enjoying your time so far. I hope (again) you’re looking forward to the next chapter. See you soon....next year or should I say.... next decade?😶  
  


* * *


	5. Chapter 5

Soon it was Monday again and Jaqueline was walking down the hall as Rowan approached her “Next class is potions class” she said.

Jaqueline slowed down, looked at her and raised an eyebrow “I know?”

Rowan tilted her head “Well and then you have to stay after class and do cleanup with Merula” she said, emphasizing the name of her bully.

“...I know” she replied again, seemingly unbothered and turned back to her normal pace as Rowan followed suit.

“You really don’t care, do you?” there was a little pause before Jaqueline replied

“I really don’t.”

“And about being the number 1 gossip subject of the school?” Rowan said with a smile and both eyebrows raised. “Well for younger grades at least”

“I am a gossip subject??” Jaqueline replied her voice higher than usual.

“Wow you must be blind and deaf not to notice, people have been talking about the fight with Merula ever since it happened, honestly they all think your cool, like really cool” Rowan spoke excitedly, looking at her friend. Jaqueline closed her eyes and sighed.

“Come on, aren’t you even a little excited about it?” her friend looked at her, not hiding her excitement.

“They always did, now it’s at least positive… still, I’d rather they didn’t” Jaqueline mumbled, turning her head away with a sigh. _Oh my... I just hope none of this drama will reach my parents._

“Well, I think it’ better than when they were afraid of you, now they like you” Rowan said, still smiling, seemingly proud at the achievement of her friend.

“Yeah, I don’t think so, let’s just leave it be“

“Jack you’re really weird sometimes, if people admired me, I’d be happy” Rowan laughed.

“Rowan I really don’t think they admire me, they’re just glad someone finally stood up to Snyde”

“Well, that too but you really impressed them back then” At this Jaqueline just rolled her eyes and sighed again.

“Wow, you really sigh a lot, don’t you?” Rowan teased and pushed her friend with an elbow.

“And you sure talk a lot, don’t you?” Jaqueline raised an eyebrow although she was clearly amused with the girl.

“I don’t talk too much, you talk too little” Rowan huffed with a smile and Jaqueline couldn’t help but smile at this statement.

“Pick up the pace a little, wouldn’t want to come late to Snape’s class” Jaqueline said as her smile changed back to her normal face.

“Alright, alright” Rowan replied as she sped up her walking.

They stepped into the nearly full class one or two minutes before the bell, sat down at their usual table, where Merula was already sitting rustling through some papers and preparing books before the lesson starts. Both of the girls seated themselves at their places and just as they did Jaqueline received a quick glare from Merula that she just ignored and turned her attention to unpacking her notes for poison classes and her book ‘ _Magical Drafts and Potions’._ Immediately somebody’s hand from other side of the table reached for the book and this startled Jaqueline a little and before she could say anything the blonde girl that was holding the book spoke happily

“I know this one I have already finished it, it’s pretty good, what do you think?”

It took a second before Jaqueline regained back her composure and replied neutrally “It’s fine I guess, but ‘ _Advanced Potion Making’_ from Borage is little better although it’s more challenging” this made the girl’s smile grow wider.

“Yup, I know it and I’m already halfway through, you should look at ‘ _Most Potente Potions’_ once you finish this, that’s what I’m about to do at least” she said cheerfully as she looked at the clock “Well, I should go now. Oh, I’m Penny Haywood by the way”

“I’m Jaqueline Gaunt and this is Rowan Khanna”

“Yea, I know” the blonde girl just smiled and walked to her seat that was right across from them on the other side of the room.

“Penny is really nice” Rowan exclaimed right away.

“You know her?” Jaqueline asked.

“Of course I do, everyone does!”

“Ugh, little miss perfect… arse-kisser” both girls turned towards Merula that was reading some paper with her usual annoyed face. Rowan just looked away and Jaqueline just sighed, rolled her eyes and began rearranging her books and supplies a little before the lesson started with Snape storming into the classroom like he usually does. _Honestly doesn’t that girl have better things to do than commenting every single thing. She really is becoming a torn in my side. Annoying...._

The class passed by very fast, with the typical remarks and comments from Merula, Snape’s sneers and Rowans questions and chatting here and there.

“Class dismissed. Gaunt and Snyde, I hope you know you’re staying” Snape said as he turned to walk towards his table. All the students were collecting their things, Rowan quickly whished good luck to Jaqueline and patting her on the shoulder. Merula noticed this and just rolled her eyes at the gesture.

“Start with the table where you weight ingredients, sort them out then properly arrange the chairs and leave when you’re done. Also, I don’t want to hear any talking. Now get to work” Snape ordered and that’s what the girls did without any hesitation.   
They started to collect the ingredients and sort them out, each girl taking care of a half from the table without agreeing on it. Sometimes Jaqueline’s eyes darted towards the other girl and more than once she caught Merula staring with more neutral expression but once she realized she was caught she quickly glared and looked away. Jaqueline just sighed, for the 100 time today and continued deciding to not give it much thought. Once the sorting was done both of them turned their attention towards arranging the chairs. This was swiftly done and then they both just stood and looked at their house head. He was now writing something at his desk, he lifted his head up and looked at them annoyed.

“What part of leave when you’re done didn’t you understand?” Both girls stiffened and stood like soldier figures for a second before collecting their belongings and leaving. Snape just sighed and turned his attention back towards his paperwork. 

They found themselves walking side by side down a hall towards their dorms, their speed and even the style of their walk fairly similar with the only difference being that Merula confidently walked like she owned the place and Jaqueline walked although with the same confidence but looking like she couldn’t be more bothered by anything or anyone. Soon they both noticed that they were walking side by side and both stopped dead in their tracks. They gave each other an equally annoyed side-look and then both of them together began walking again. This made Merula twitch a little and flex her jaw, Jaqueline took a slow breath in and out. Once they both slowed down together, again as if they were controlled by the same strings and Jaqueline just raised an eyebrow, Merula closed her eyes, her jaw remaining flexed before they both started walking faster at the same time.

Merula looked at her, her expression was something between annoyance and frustration “Gaunt would you just stop??”

The other girl just rolled her eyes “I can’t stop being in the same house as you”

“Then don’t walk like me”

“You are the one that just stopped when I did”

Now was Merula’s turn to roll her eyes “Sure, act like that’s what I wanted to do you moron”

“I didn’t say you wanted to do it but that’s what you did”

“Well I could say the same stupid thing, now stop bothering me you nuisance” Merula said before looking forward and continuing walking in the same direction like Jaqueline.

“You’re the one that started talking to me” She said as she continued to walk.

“Ugh, you’re incredibly annoying” Merula said as she made another irritated noise. Jaqueline decided not to answer and just roll her eyes and continue silently until they reached their dorm and parted ways without saying anything. _She is really becoming more unbearable each and every day. Ah I’m actually getting irritated here...I’ll just have to ignore her from now on._

As Jaqueline arrived into her room, she placed her school supplies and books back into shelves. Carefully sorting out the notes from today into folders where she kept them together with books that she had for each subject. She sat down a little, put her robes down only keeping the sweater and left for Castle Grounds where she was supposed to meet with Rowan.  
Jaqueline finally came up with something that could help her find her brother, which was a rumor about cursed ice and a hidden door that could as well have something to do with the cursed vaults, she then decided to investigate and to speak about the whole situation with Rowan for the first time. As she reached the grounds, she saw Rowan engaging in a conversation with Penny. Jaqueline frowned a little, so that the other two girls wouldn’t notice and came up to them.

“Hey Jack” Jaqueline stopped and turned to her friend “Hello Rowan” and then acknowledged the other girl with a nod “Penny.”

The blonde just smiled and said “Hi Jaqueline, we were just talking about how impressive you were when you dueled with Merula. Rowan also mentioned that you helped Ben, I wanted to thank you for that as well.”

Jaqueline raised an eyebrow “Why?”

“Well Merula’s been bullying him since he stepped foot into the train just for being a muggle and that poor guy has no idea how to defend himself so you standing up really helped, so thank you again, really” Penny smiled gratefully.

“You’re welcome… I guess” Jaqueline said nonchalantly and turned her attention back towards Rowan “I want to talk to you about something.”

This surprised Rowan “Oh, you do? What is it about?”

Jaqueline looked at Penny for a second and then back to Rowan “Could we maybe talk alone for a bit?”

“Wait” Penny interrupted them, the smile never leaving her face “You sound serious maybe I could help? You helped Ben so it’s only fair that I help you.”

Jaqueline raised an eyebrow “You don’t have to Ro-” as she was interrupted by Rowan’s hand on the shoulder.

“You should let Penny help too, she’s really smart too and the more the merrier right?”

Jaqueline just murmured “Not really” she sighed and continued “Ok you can help I guess.”

This made Penny smile even more “Yay, thanks.”

It was Rowan’s turn to speak now “Okay, so, Jack what is it about??”

She sighed and looked away a little “Well you both probably know my brother, right?” Both girls looked at each other and then at Jaqueline and nodded simultaneously. “So, I want to find him, he’s been searching for the Cursed Vaults and I’ve had no clue where to begun up until know…” Rowan and Penny again nodded for Jaqueline to continue.   
“I’ve heard about a hidden door and cursed ice appearing around the castle and I think that’s where I should start the search” she calmly explained and waited for their reaction.

Silence came and Penny spoke first “Okay, I’m totally going to help you, but where should we start, I personally haven’t seen any sort of ice around the castle.”

“We’ll need to search for it first, even teachers talked about it so it has to be somewhere” Jaqueline said, already thinking about where to start the search.

Rowan interrupted both of them “Hold on, we shouldn’t search for it, I’m pretty sure it’s against the rules…” Jaqueline just looked at her and then away from her, her expression a little unsure.

That’s when Penny began speaking again “Come on, Rowan we won’t get caught and Jack here wanted your help in the first place not mine so please do help us” she said, trying to persuade the Ravenclaw.

Rowan sighed “Alright I’ll help but we have to be really careful not to get caught” she said, although still looking a little nervous.

Jaqueline couldn’t hide the ease she felt upon hearing that and felt grateful for Penny’s intervention “Okay…. Thank you, both of you.”

“It’s fine” Penny spoke “So where are we going to begin the search, I’m kind of excited” Rowan now engaged “We should look around floors and hallways that aren’t used frequently instead of Classrooms and rooms that are used a lot.”

Jaqueline turned towards her and gave her a genuine smile “Yeah, that’s a good idea, let’s start then.” And so the three girls went on a search inside the castle, unaware of the fact that a certain someone has heard more than enough of their conversation and decided to get involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this ones finally done, I swear if there was a god of writers block he decided to only turn his attention towards me for the past few days. Anyways I hope you liked it, stay tuned for the next one ♥


	6. Chapter 6

Weeks went by and they had no clue to the origin of the cursed ice and to the location of the hidden door whatsoever. Jaqueline didn’t show any sign of frustration although she was clearly bothered by their unlucky search. She started to be more around people than she used to be, her circle grew, now she didn’t only spend time with Rowan she also started to appreciate Penny’s company. Although she still wasn’t used to being alone with her it didn’t bother her once Penny started to be around them regularly.   
Ben was also becoming a part of the group although he was still shy and when Penny was around, he spoke even less. He still wasn’t aware of their plan to find Jaqueline’s brother and Jack sure wasn’t about to tell him in the near future. There was no need to get him involved when there’s nothing he could help with, it’s not that he was incompetent, he’d probably be too scared to do something and even if he came up with a good idea to help them he’d most likely not say anything due to his lack of confidence and shyness. However, Jaqueline could care less about it, simply because the more people would know about it and be involved the bigger the chance would be of them being caught. Jaqueline, Rowan and Penny were sitting at a table in the library, it was a place they mostly visited to either talk about the cursed ice and stuff related to it or to learn.   
Today was different, they started with learning for the upcoming exam from potions class and it somehow ended up with Penny and Rowan talking about Quidditch.   
Jaqueline didn’t listen to them, really, she was too caught up in the book she was now reading and making notes for the upcoming exam, sometimes she noticed several shushes and glares from Madam Prince that were directed to their table every now and then, after that she’ll look at her companions whose heads would lower instantly while lowering their volume.   
After a while this scenario would repeat itself three times in a row Prince lost her patience and kicked them, all three of them, out of the library. As they stepped out of the room there was a long silence between them followed by a sigh from Jaqueline.

“Sooo, where we going now?” Penny broke the silence.

“I don’t know” Rowan answered and they both looked at Jaqueline.

“Why do you look at me, you’re the reason were out, come up with something” Jaqueline rolled her eyes and sighed “I might as well return to my room.”

“Noo” Rowan and Penny whined simultaneously. Jaqueline just stared at them unblinkingly and there was silence between them for a good amount of time before Penny broke it again.

“I mean we could go and watch the Quidditch friendly which is today, that we talked about. I don’t usually watch friendlies but I have watched every single official match” she stated excitedly.

“I like to watch it too although I’m not such a big fan like you” Rowan said and then both of them turned to see Jaqueline’s reaction.

Which was a blank stare at the space somewhere between the two girls and a murmured “I have never really watched one since I’ve enrolled in this school” followed by a little bit of silence again.

Suddenly Penny gasped “You’re joking…”

This made Rowan say “She doesn’t joke.”

Jaqueline nodded in agreement “I do not joke.”

“Alright we need to change that, like, right now” Penny said, seemingly shocked from what she just heard.

“I wanted to study for the test” Jaqueline said with her usual neutral expression.

“Come on it’s not tomorrow you’ll have enough time to study“ Penny said and looked at Rowan for support

“Well, she’s right and you didn’t manage to loan the book you were making notes of so technically you have nothing to learn from.”

The Slytherin looked from one girl to another and sighed “Okay, I guess.” And so, they went on their way towards the Quidditch stadium.

They were nearing the seats and Jaqueline suddenly asked “And who’s playing?”

Penny laughed “Come on we’ve talked about it”

“You and Rowan talked about it, I was learning” that came out maybe a little more annoyed than Jaqueline intended to but luckily Penny was never bother by her attitude and laughed it off.

“Good point, it’s a friendly between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.”

Jaqueline’s mouth formed a little smirk “Ha, figures.”

Rowan turned to look at her “What do you mean?”

Jaqueline raised an eyebrow “There sure wouldn’t be a friendly between Gryffindor and Slytherin”

Penny shrugged her left shoulder a little “Well, Jaqueline has a point… again” and smiled.

The Slytherin turned her attention to the field and sighed “When is it starting?”

“In about two minutes” Rowan answered before Penny could. 

Jaqueline faced Penny again and asked “Do you know anything about Slytherin’s team”

“Of course I do, I love Quidditch, I just don’t watch friendlies because they aren’t that exciting” Penny answered happily.

“Who is the best player?” Jaqueline continued

“Hmm, what do you think??” Penny said.

“I-... don’t really know them” Jaqueline admitted with a little nod.

“Really, but that time with Merula in flying class you said something about Quidditch” Penny wondered.

Jaqueline just shrugged and said “That was simply a cover up”

Rowan joined the discussion, being impressed by her friend once again “Amazing, I couldn’t have come up with something in that kind of situation, I’d probably freeze up right away.”

Penny agreed with her, praising her friend as well “Me neither, I wouldn’t even notice Ms. Hooch coming from behind”

Rowan nudged Jaqueline a little “Yeah, how did you even do that?”

Jaqueline shrugged again and stated “Good senses I guess.”

That made Penny laugh “Yeah, yeah, keep your secrets Miss Mysterious.”

Jaqueline just smirked and said calmly “The game is starting” and so all three of them turned their heads towards the field to watch the play unfold.

The game went on rather peacefully although the competitiveness could have been sensed a little, overall the kept it friendly just like the match should be. Jaqueline spent most of the game analyzing what the role of each position really was and how the teams played. And soon she was lost in her thought while observing it.   
_Hmm it’s actually quite amusing once you realise what’s going on. The least interesting position seems to be the Seeker, however I could see how some people would definitely go for it.  
The Keeper is the most analytical one although they aren’t really that relevant in a match, are they? They just fly around and sometimes catch something, nearly no action involved but they’re useful after when the team needs to talk about the pros and cons of the match.   
The Beaters and Chaser on the other hand get most of the action.  
The Beaters are the aggressive ones I guess but both of them defend their team members and the 3 Chasers well they need to be really coordinated with each other I suppose if you played it with someone you don’t really get along with it would be annoying but then again many things are annoying.   
_And soon Rowan broke her chain of thoughts with her question “If you could choose one who would it be?”

Jaqueline firstly just blinked forward “What?”   
  


“If you could choose one position which would it be?” Rowan repeated herself.

“I’d go for Seeker, they need to be fast and agile and they don’t really get hurt that much” Penny answered with a smile.

“I don’t know really” Jaqueline scratched her chin a little.

“I’d probably be a Keeper, it’s the safest” Rowan stated with a laugh “although I’d rather stay with my books and not play at all.”   
Jaqueline frowned a little and turned her attention back towards the game. It ended sooner with Ravenclaw winning the game and the three girls leaving the seats and walking towards the Courtyard, deciding to spend some time together there.

They entered the yard and found themselves a place near the fountain.

“Chaser” Jaqueline exclaimed out of nowhere, startling the two girls and making them turn to her with questioning looks.

“If I had to choose one position I’d go for the chaser” she soon explained herself.

“Ohh that’s what you’re talking about” Penny laughed.

“Really? You don’t seem like that much of a team player” Rowan stated. “Quidditch is a team game” Jaqueline raised her eyebrow.

“Yeah but there’s three Chasers and you need to work together more than for example a Seeker or a Keeper that has more of a stand-alone job” Penny said, helping Rowan prove her point.

Jaqueline thought a little and then calmly crossed her arms “I can be a team player.”

“I’m not saying you can’t be one I just thought you rather work alone” Rowan raised her hands in front of her chest not knowing if she accidentally offended the other girl.

“I’m not offended” Jaqueline said as if reading the other girls mind “I just personally feel like that would suit me the most” she stated calmly.

Penny laughed and said “You know what? I can totally see you being one.”

Now it was Rowan and Jaqueline’s turn to be surprised although the Slytherin didn’t really show it in her expression and just said “Oh you can?”

Penny smiled even more “Of course, did you ever think of playing?”

Now they were surprised again and it actually be seen now on Jaqueline’s face and after a while she asked “Where did that come from?”

Penny just shrugged it of “Nowhere, I just feel like you should try it out sometime.”

Jaqueline frowned a little and said “Maybe… anyway, wouldn’t now be a good time to look around the castle some more again?” the two girls firstly just looked at her, wondering what she was talking about.

Rowan realized it first and said “Oh, well we could look around in the hallway somewhere behind the Slytherin dorms I overheard Snape and McGonagall talk about ice appearing there recently.”

Penny smiled and said “Okay let’s go.”   
Jaqueline just nodded and they went on their way.

As soon as they entered the hallway, they were surprised to find an empty, seemingly cold wet floor and Mr. Flitch with his cat Ms. Norris lurking around at the back. As soon as Jaqueline saw this, she grabbed both of the girls and dragged them together with her behind a statue. She put a finger on her lips as a sing for them to be silent.  
She peeked and saw him just standing there doing nothing.   
She turned back towards the girls and looked at them. Penny just shrugged her shoulders two times Rowan on the other hand raised her palm up and made a weird questioning grimace. Jaqueline had to smile at the sight, shook her head and whispered “He’s probably waiting for someone.”   
Both of her friend’s mouths made and ‘oh’ shape upon realization and they nodded together.

The door opened, luckily from the other side of the hall followed with steps. Penny made a head notion as if she was trying to peak around the statue and Jaqueline placed a hand on her shoulder successfully stopping her, and mouthing the words ‘not yet’.

A Little time passed and the people that entered the hallway began talking together with Flitch, once Jaqueline figured enough time has passed for their attention to be fully in the conversation and not observing their environment she decided to look.   
As expected, she saw Professor Snape together with McGonagall talking with Flitch. They were too far away for her to actually make out full sentences but she caught some words and two of those were exactly those that she wanted to hear and that was hidden door and cursed ice.   
Then she saw Snape turning away from the other two and stepping towards a door.

A door that Jaqueline never noticed there before although she has walked through this hallway already many times. Snape muttered something and it vanished and was replaced by a usual, unsuspicious wall.

Her eyes widened as she turned back to her hiding spot. _Weeks of searching and I have finally found something.  
_ She felt happy, genuinely happy up until the fact she noticed the door that they entered through crackling and making a noise, which caused the attention of their professors turn in their direction. Jaqueline widened her eyes and stopped breathing, just like the other girls.

They waited and waited, luckily the professors just decided to let it be and engage in a conversation again for a little before both Snape and McGonagall left, leaving only Flitch and his cat in the room. Jaqueline wanted to wait and look at the door but after a while she figured he’ll be staying to watch the hall she begun to think of an explain plan.

She turned to her friends that were clueless to what their next move should be so she gestured them trying to explain that she’ll distract him and then they make a break for it, fearing that now due to the real silent environment even whispers would be suspicious.

After a while of explaining and confusion she finally got through to them, she peeked around the corner and saw Flitch looking away from them towards another statue so she decided to go for it.

She pointed her wand at a vase near the opposite door and moved as in a motion for the spell ‘wingardium leviosa’ and said it in her mind. She knew it was possible to do a simple charm without speaking, she even practiced it a little although it’s the first time she was really using it. Her uncertainty was washed away a soon as she managed to lift the Vase off the column and made a motion with her head signaling the girls to move towards the door, just as they did she let the vase fall, scaring the Flitch and making his cat jump up high and ran out of the room with her friends.

They quickly ran into the Courtyard and sat down, to catch their breath.   
“That’s what we’re looking for” Jaqueline said first.

“Yeah but how are we going to get to the door?” Rowan asked between pants.

“Flitch won’t be there 24/7” Jaqueline said, running a hand through her white hair.

“But he’ll probably have his cat watching that place all the time” Rowan was still out of breath.

It was no Penny’s turn to speak “I might know how to get rid of his cat.”

Jaqueline looked at her, unblinking, unsure of what the other girl was suggesting.

Penny just looked back still confused but after a while she gasped “Oh Merlin, not like that. I know how to prepare a sleeping draught.”

Jaqueline let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding “Yeah, then prepare it I’ll find a spell to reveal the door”

Rowan said, finally catching her breath “What about unlocking it?”

“I already know the Unlocking Charm” Jaqueline said to which Rowan just replied “Impressive…”

Penny began again, actually sounding a little excited “I’ll manage to get the ingredients myself and after the next potions class we’re good to go.”

Jaqueline just nodded, looked at her watch and decided it was time to go back to her room and find a spell to unhide the door in one of her spell books. She turned towards the girls once again thanked them and they all said their goodbyes and went to their separate dorms. Jaqueline couldn’t help but smile a little on her way towards her room, that was broken by a certain Snyde with a taunting

“What’s with that weird smirk, Gaunt?”

which Jaqueline just decide to ignore, but not without a good annoyed look towards the other witch. Merula reciprocated it with an equally annoyed eye roll and walked away. Even this encounter didn’t leave her feeling tired like she usually did after dealing with the other Slytherin.  
 _Can’t be bothered by her, now even she can’t make my day a drag._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's finally here after a long wait. The next one should be out next week and it'll be the end for the first year and I'll be continuing the second year right away. Also there'll be more chapters per year once we reach fourth or fifth year so no worries. I hope you liked and stay tuned for the next one, bye ❤


	7. A/N

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Hey the next chapter will be out later than expected I’ve caught strep and I’m running a fever so I’m really out of order for some time but I think I’ll manage to get better and post it at some point this week. At least I’ll try to. Thanks for understanding🙏🏼 See you soon 🖤

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